Tower Talks with Inside Towers

Discussions at Fiber Connect 2026 addressed fiber deployments across a range of access and transport applications for broadband, wireless, data center and IoT uses. Clearfield bills itself as “The Fiber to Anywhere Company” and offers a wide variety of patented designed and manufactured components and connectivity elements that help speed up fiber deployments at lower labor costs. Anis Khemakhem,...

Fiber Connect 2026 proved to be quite timely and significant at this point in the telecom industry with data center expansion booming, fiber builds ramping up with BEAD funding, and ongoing new tower construction. Doug Wittrock, Chief Operating Officer at Network Connex sat down with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor at the event to share his perspectives and outlook on the opportuniti...

Hyperscale data centers, (aka AI factories), are expanding rapidly to develop AI Large Learning Models. However, the notion of edge data centers for AI Inference and high-speed, low-latency applications is getting renewed attention. Rod Carter and Jake Remington, partners at the telecom law practice at Husch Blackwell , discuss with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor, the issues related...

The telecom industry is evolving from distinct wireless and wireline businesses into a broader digital infrastructure ecosystem. Ontivity is a company that is involved in a number of key aspects of designing and building a range of digital infrastructure asset classes. Eric Chase, Executive Chairman of Ontivity, and Dave Mayo, Senior Technology Executive serving on the Ontivity board of directors...

 Any kind of RF interference at a call site will diminish connections to cell phones and cause poor service which leads to customer complaints. Unlike active interference from nearby antennas, PIM, or passive intermodulation interference, can be caused by many elements in and around a cell site on a tower. These conditions make PIM hard to detect and mitigate.    Drew Martin, Sales Engineer-Interf...

Fiber is the key connectivity element that ties together all digital infrastructure asset classes, for consumers and Enterprises alike. Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, talks with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor, about the rapid growth, the outlook for the fiber broadband business and the upcoming Fiber Connect event. Support the show

Private tower companies are active in new tower builds and site modifications response to mobile network operator demand for colocations and amendments associated with coverage and capacity expansion. But scaling a tower company involves permitting, financing, competition, and availability of quality assets to acquire. Chas Peterson, Chief Commercial Officer and Aaron Bloom, Senior Vice President-...

The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) opens its 2026 Mobility & Connectivity Show tomorrow in Louisville, Kentucky. In this Tower Talks podcast, CCA President and CEO Tim Donovan spoke with Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief Leslie Stimson before the show about hot topics for the association that represents competitive communications service providers and stakeholders across the United...

A 1988 Chicago-area telecom fire exposed how dangerous traditional cabling materials were, and how digital infrastructure depends on reliable power systems. As data demand grows and network integrity becomes increasingly critical, power conversion products and cabling must deliver consistent quality, resilience, and performance across wireless and fiber networks, and in central offices, and data c...

Many delays have impacted the federal government’s BEAD program. This and other events have slowed getting shovels in the ground for government help for states and their contractors looking to expand broadband deployment. In this Tower Talks podcast, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez speaks with Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief Leslie Stimson about broadband deployment, as well as contested issues...

The tower business is alive and well. U.S. mobile network operators are expanding their networks and tower companies are benefiting from that increased deployment activity. Smaller, private tower companies remain active with new tower builds and consolidations but need funding. Palistar Capital is a private investment firm that helps small tower companies grow. Omar Jaffrey, Palistar Capital Manag...

Increasing mobile data consumption and closing the digital divide are big drivers for continued capacity and coverage expansion among mobile network operators. Private tower companies have been most active in new tower builds and M&A activity in response to these market drivers. But scaling a tower company has its challenges – financing, competition, availability of quality assets to acquire....

Co-hosts Patrick Halley, WIA President and CEO, and Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief, discussed the evolution of satellite-to-phone, direct-to-device (D2D) technology with Tim Farrar, founder of TMF Associates . Tim founded his consultancy in 2002 to undertake technical, market and financial consulting across the satellite and telecom sectors. In this discussion, Farrar explai...

Residents often push back on new tower developments in their communities for various reasons – location of the tower, how it looks, health risks and lowering of property values. The last point is often the focus of much discussion and debate at municipal hearings. Is this a valid concern for residents?  Rod Carter and Jake Remington, Partners in the Telecom Law practice at Husch Blackwell, discuss...

Modern mounting systems for digital infrastructure equipment go beyond basic frames—they're adaptable, configurable, and designed to secure active gear while providing organized pathways for power and signal cables. Calvin Waskey, with the National Sales team at Allfasteners , discusses with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor, some unique aspects of the company’s mounting systems a...

Co-hosts Patrick Halley, WIA CEO and President, and Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor, recently chatted with Arpan Sura, Senior Counsel to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Chief AI Officer, on their Wireless Water Cooler podcast.   In this lively talk, Sura discusses a variety of issues including the Commission’s Build America agenda focused on unleashing high-speed infrastructure builds, rest...

Large organizations deal with a lot of data and information that is often in silos and not shared among internal groups. Digital infrastructure projects, for example, involve site acquisition and permitting, engineering, construction and ongoing operations and maintenance. Infrastructure businesses save time and money when all groups in the company can access data across the entire process. Paul A...

Demand for fiber connectivity is at an all-time high. Both dark and lit fiber are in demand for connections to towers, enterprises, and data centers, and for middle-mile routes connecting fiber-to-the-home deployments. Fiber strand counts and optical transmission speeds are increasing dramatically. And the mix of national, regional and smaller fiber operators is constantly churning.  Tyler Coates,...

Wireless, fiber, and data center markets are projected to grow in 2025 and in subsequent years. Nonetheless, these markets are encountering challenges due to the prevailing macroeconomic conditions. These factors collectively influence the telecom supply chain in both beneficial and adverse manners. Gus Vasilakis, VP of Canada Sales & Global Business Development at Power & Tel , discusses...

Building and managing digital infrastructure —whether it’s towers, fiber networks, or data centers—is a multifaceted challenge, requiring precise coordination across design, construction, and ongoing operations.  Brant Carter, VP-Product at Sitetracker , discusses with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor, overarching industry trends and how the company’s 'Full Asset Lifecycle Manage...

Digital twins have become a powerful tool for TowerCos - helping to uncover hidden revenue, reduce costs, and improve decision-making. But misconceptions about site data and operations are still costing TowerCos millions, according to vHive .  In this episode, vHive’s CRO Itai Karelic joins Inside Towers' John Celentano to break down five costly myths to reveal how digital twins can unlock un...

Although designed to last a long time, towers undergo continual loading changes as mobile network operators and wireless service providers add, upgrade or replace their transmission equipment. And towers must withstand constant changes in the weather. Mike Seymour, President and Bryan Lanier, Vice President-Operations at Congruex Wireless Solutions talk with John Celentano, Inside Towers Business...

Human trafficking involves the exploitation of men, women and children, for some sort of control or monetary gain. The Telecommunications Against Trafficking and Exploitation, or T.A.T.E., initiative offers guidelines for the many men and women who work in telecom to help prevent such exploitations by knowing what to look for and how to respond. Ashlie Bryant, co-founder and CEO, and Josh Loaiza,...

Tower companies report an increase in colocation requests from MNOs and other wireless operators, more than for lease amendments on existing sites. Onboarding second or third tenants involves different considerations than hosting the anchor tenant.  Harmoni Towers' CCO Chas Peterson and SVP of Business Development Aaron Bloom discuss these key colocation considerations with Inside Towers Busi...

Co-hosts Patrick Halley, WIA CEO and President, and Jim Fryer, Inside Towers Managing Editor recently chatted with Jim Stritzinger, the Director of the South Carolina Broadband Office on the Wireless Water Cooler podcast. In this lively and candid half-hour talk, the focus is on innovative ways the public and private sectors can partner to ensure the federal funding from NTIA’s Broadband Equity, A...